


Dec 22: Withdrawal

by sidhwen



Series: White Collar Advent calendar drabbles [22]
Category: White Collar
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi, OT3, Post-Finale, Series Finale, Spoilers, episode tag s06e06: au revoir, set before Elizabeth's pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-22
Updated: 2014-12-22
Packaged: 2018-03-02 23:55:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2830661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sidhwen/pseuds/sidhwen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neal misses home and two people in particular.</p><p>(Kind of a follow-up drabble to "Dec 10: By The Book")</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dec 22: Withdrawal

It begins after one Christmas dinner with a peck on a freshly shaved cheek of one reluctant Peter, under mistletoe carefully placed by Elizabeth. Neal thinks that might have been that, until El kisses him goodbye on the mouth that night.  
He doesn’t think he could be so lucky, so he blames it on the wine they’ve all had.

At the office’s Christmas party that same season, Peter returns Neal’s kiss on the cheek, under a different twig of mistletoe, after some spurring on from the other FBI agents. A few snigger or smirk but that’s more due to the eggnog Clinton brought. They all know how devoted Peter is to his wife and nobody really thinks anything of their boss adhering to this holiday tradition.  
Neal knows Peter being the boss could have easily excused himself, knows that there is more meaning behind this mistletoe encounter than their colleagues are aware of. It’s an assertion, an invitation.

Neal comes over to the Burkes with wine more frequently in the New Year.

It’s been a few weeks of getting closer to one another. Border after border is crossed, new lines are drawn.  
One night, Peter gives him that special fond smile he reserves only for the company present, and Elizabeth takes Neal’s hand to pull him towards their bedroom.  
Neal closes the door behind the three of them.

******

Neal remembers this and more with a pang in his heart. It’s been almost a year since the Pink Panthers, since saying goodbye to his life in New York.  
But he knows he hasn’t lost it for good. Peter’s day of discovery will come.

Patience is one of the few virtues that conmen have in abundance.

**Author's Note:**

> It didn't occur to me until I was almost done writing that this version of events might imply Neal could also be baby Neal's father... Not my intention and not my headcanon (at least not for this drabble; I'm not against the idea per se, come to think of it ;) It would certainly fuel my OT3 feels if the paternity were ambiguous ^^ )
> 
> This is my last entry for our Advent Calendar and I want to thank everyone who has been reading our drabbles, I hope you enjoyed them as much as we did writing them :)  
> ★ Happy Holidays! ★


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